We want you to feel as safe and comfortable as possible using ASKfm, and the new leadership behind the site is stepping up to take responsibility for making ASKfm a safer and more positive experience for the millions of people who use the service every month, many of whom are under the age of 18.

We are driven by the philosophy that achieving a safer experience online is accomplished through collaboration between us, our users, our communities, governments and law enforcement. For our users to be able to do their part to personalize and control their ASKfm experience, we must provide them with easy tools – features, like the ones outlined here and those to come – that allow them make the best possible choices for themselves as they spend time asking and answering questions on ASKfm.

The guide below is designed to explain how to find and use those very safety and privacy tools available on ASKfm today.

Before we dive in, here is a quick overview of what these features allow you to control on ASKfm:

• Whether you want to receive questions from users who wish to remain anonymous.
• Who can send you questions on the service. You can view and manage your blacklist in your Settings page. If they are on the blacklist, they can’t contact you on ASKfm.
• Email notifications and communications from ASKfm letting you know when a question is waiting for you, someone has “liked” your post, sent you a “gift” or other relevant information about your ask.fm communication.
• Your presence on the ASKfm Stream, which is a live update of answers from many users on ASKfm, not just the ones you are following, published in your selected language on the site.
• Which questions from other users actually post on your public profile – and which don’t.

Now, let’s take a closer look at our key safety controls and features:

1

Allow or block anonymous questions

On ASKfm you have the option to (1) ask questions to other users while being anonymous and (2) receive anonymous questions from others (those who are choose to post their questions anonymously).

Anonymity can be a useful and fun feature on ASKfm. However, you always have the option to ask questions either as yourself with your public ID, or anonymously. You do not have to ask questions anonymously.

You also have the choice to never receive a single anonymous question while on ASKfm. To block all anonymous questions, go to your Settings, and then click on Privacy. From there, select Do not allow anonymous questions.

2

Blocking specific users from asking you questions

You can block other users from sending you questions – anonymous or not – by clicking the Block button on their profile page. Blocked users are never allowed to ask you questions again. You can see who you have blocked by viewing your Blacklist in your Privacy Settings. You can also un-block users at any time by viewing your Blacklist in your Privacy Settings.

You can also block a user (anonymous or not) from your inbox by mousing over the right rail of the question to display the Report or Block button, then select it. From there, simply select the Block User option. We will block the user from sending you questions in the future.

3

Controlling public visibility on ASKfm

ASKfm is a public space for people to communicate, which means all content posted on ASKfm can be seen by the public. All members and visitors of the site can view your posts, and your posts can also be searched for in search engines, such as Google or Bing. This means that if there is any information you do not want the entire world to see, you should be careful about posting it in a question or answer!

If you have published answers by mistake, they can be deleted from your profile by clicking the Delete button in the top right hand corner of the answer.

4

Controlling which questions from other users appear on your profile

Only you have the right to decide which questions appear on your public profile.  Questions from other ASKfm users only show up on your profile when you actually answer the question they ask. If you do not answer, these questions do not appear on your profile – ever. And remember, you can always block specific users and anonymous questions, any time (see #2).

5

 

How to report abuse

We want to know any time you view content that breaks the rules of our website (often referred to as the Terms or Terms of Use – if you haven’t already, please read them carefully!). If you see content anywhere on ASKfm that you feel is unacceptable and goes against these rules, we encourage you to report those posts to us immediately by clicking the Report button in the top right hand corner of the Profile and/or Question and Answer pages.

6

 

How we handle reports of abuse

Both ASKfm members (those who have created an ASKfm profile and are logged in) and visitors (those who are visiting the site without being logged in) are able to report offensive or unacceptable posts, at any time. Reported posts will be reviewed within 24 hours by our moderation team.

After you submit a report, we will investigate, determine whether the content should be removed and take necessary action. These actions can include removing the content, suspending the user who posted it, or even sending information to law enforcement when warranted. Please be assured that all reports are confidential. The people posting the content you have reported will never know who flagged their content for removal.

7

 

Sharing with the ASKfm “Stream”

The ASKfm Stream shows answers from our millions of users on one single page that is updated in real time.

You can choose whether to share your answers to the public Stream on your Settings Page. By choosing to show your answers on the Stream, you can increase visibility of your profile and find new friends. However, you can also attract attention you don’t necessarily want. The good thing is, you can add or remove yourself from the Stream at any time with just one click in your Settings Page.

Quick Reminders for Using ASKfm

In short, to ensure the best experience possible while on ASKfm, please always keep the following in mind:

• Be thoughtful about what you post. Check our Terms of Use (website rules) for details on the behavior we allow and don’t allow. Chances are, if you are not sure, you shouldn’t post. Behavior that is in conflict with our Terms of Use will not be allowed on ASKfm.
• Take advantage of our privacy settings to manage who can see what you post and block unwanted attention.
• If you see or are subject to offensive or abusive content – speak up! We need our user community to help us identify and remove this kind of behavior. Please use the reporting features to make us aware of any such content straight away so we can take appropriate action, such as sending a warning to the user or suspending the user’s account.
• The choice to be anonymous on ASKfm is up to you. Please take time to learn and understand the tools and features on ASKfm so you can have the best experience possible. Remember, you do not have to send or receive anonymous questions to connect, engage and have fun with your friends on ASKfm.